Combined brace and suspensory.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904'.

A. 0. RANKIN. COMBINED BRAOB AND SUSPENSORY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27. 1903.

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' PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

A. c; RANKIN. I COMBINED BRAGE AND SUSPENSORY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27. 1903.

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Patented June 14:, 1902.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER (J. RANKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED BRACE AND SUSPENSORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,555, dated June 14,1904. Application filed August 27, 1903, Serial No. 171,000. (No model.)

To (LU whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER C. RANK N, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Brace andSuspensory, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a suspensory garment, and particularly to anundergarment provided with a suspensory and abdominal support thereon.

The invention has for an object to provide a suspensory permanentlyattached to a pair of drawers, so as to be held thereby in properposition for comfortably and properly supporting the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofabdominal support at the upper portion of the drawers adapted to beconnected with the undershirt or body garment by elastic connections bywhich a perfect freedom of movement is permitted without displacing theparts from their proper positions.

Other and further ob ects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forthin both figures of the drawings.

The letter A designates a pair of drawers, which may be of any desiredmaterial or construction and from which the usual fly portion has beenremoved, and a suspensory bag or sack a, suitably gathered at its freeedge (0 is secured by means of a non-elastic tape a extending about thefront opening of the drawers. This permits the bag or sack being held ina fixed position and adapted to support the penis and testicles. Fromthe bottom of the bag A a non-elastic strip A extends beneath the crotchof tl1e garment and is connected at its upper end A with a nonelasticpart at the back thereof.

hen found desirable, an abdominal brace B may be applied to the upperportion of the drawers above the suspensory, and is adapted to fit thewearer about the waist and above the hip-bones. This brace is formed oftwo sections slightly overlapped at their front and rear points ofjuncture and secured together at the front by any suitablefastenings-for instance, hooks and eyes B, as shown in Fig. 1. I Thisportion of the brace is also stiffened and strengthened by means ofnon-elastic strips B at their upper and lower edges and intersectinglaterally-extending strips B In order to adjust the brace snugly to thebody of the wearer, a series of adjusting-strips B are provided at therear of the garment and secured together by means of buckles B as shown.

For the purpose of supporting the drawers carrying the abdominal supportand suspensory without direct pressure upon the waist or hips of thewearer the shirt or body garment C is provided at its upper portion withnon-elastic strips C, for instance, extending from the front at oppositesides of the neckopening and joined together at the rear of theneckband, as shown at from which an extension C extends downwardcentrally at the back of the garment. All of these strips are secured tothe shirt, so that they may be laundered therewith, and are provided attheir free ends with loops or openings through which elasticconnecting-cords C may pass. These cords are threaded through the loopsand attached to the drawers in any desired manner-for instance, by meansof a loop C at one end thereof engaged with any ordinary constructionvof hook, as shown at (1, which method of adjustment permits a very quickand convenient disengagement of the garments from each other.

In the use of the garment it will be seen that the method of attachingthe suspensory at the fly of the drawers by means of the nonelasticstrips prevents the bagging downwardly and outwardly of the suspensorybag or sack, and thus effects a support for the testicles when stoopingorin athletic exercise. The strips hold the suspensory at its outeredges close to the body of the wearer by means of their attachment andprevent any side shifting, while the bottom strip extending beneath thecrotch also prevents any upward movement of the suspensory. These sidestrips also support the suspensory at sufficient distance from thescrotum to prevent any contact therewith or with the testicles when thelegs are crossed and also hold the sack far enough to one side toprevent working into the groin and coming in contact with the spermaticcord. This arrangement forms a suspensory more in the character of ahammock-support than a sack and permits the formation of a large openingaround the penis, thus preventing overheating or chafing thereof in theevent of exercise in warm weather. The abdominal support,in connectionwith the supporting means, protects the back and kidneys, giving aperfect support to the stomach, while by means of the elasticsupporting-cords it obviates the necessity of any stay-ribs or elasticcloth in the support, so that the garment can be readily laundredwithout detriment to the material thereof. This support, held by cordswhich are removably connected to non-elastic strips carried by theshirt, is readily connected and disconnected therefrom when desired.These cords obviate the use of buckles or other metallic parts liable tochafe or contact with the body in the use of the garment. If desired,these cords may be of different strength or size-for instance, the twoin front of smaller size than the one at the rear.

The garment formed by the foregoing construction is adapted to supportthe three materially weak points of the bodynamely, the back andkidneys, the stomach, and the testicles-*without being complicated oruncomfortable, and is of such simple construction that the garments canbe readily laundered, while the connecting means can be quickly andconveniently applied by any person.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and configuration without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

I-Iavingdescribed my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Ina suspensory garment, a drawers having the fly portion removed, asack or bag disposed to fill the lower part of the fly portion thereof,a non elastic strip extending about the fly portion and connected edgeof the sack, and a non-elastic strip secured to the drawers andextending from the lower connected portion of the sack upward throughthe crotch of the garment to the back thereof.

2. In a suspensory garment, a drawers, a sack or bag disposed at the flyportion thereof, a non-elastic strip extending about the connected edgeof said sack, a non-elastic strip extending from the lower portion ofthe sack upward through the crotch of the garment to the back thereof,an abdominal support disposed at the upper portion of the drawers abovesaid sack or bag, a shirt or body garment, and elastic means connectingsaid drawers to said shirt.

3. In a suspensory garment, a drawers, a sack or bag disposed at the flyportion thereof, a non-elastic strip extending about the connected edgeof said sack, a non-elastic strip extending from the lower portion ofthe sack upward through the crotch of the garment to the back thereof,an abdominal support disposed at the upper portion of the drawers abovesaid sack or bag, a shirt or body garment, elastic means connecting saiddrawers to said shirt, and non-elastic strips permanently secured tosaid shirt and provided at their free ends withloops to receive saidelastic attaching means.

4. In a garment of the class described, a drawers, an abdominal bracepermanently applied to the upper portion thereof and formed in separatesections, a series of adjusting buckles and strips at the rear point ofconnections of said sections, a series of detachable connecting devicesat the front connection of said sections in alinement with theflyopening of the drawers, a shirt having nonelastic strips securedthereto and provided with loops at their free ends, attaching-hooks uponeach section of said brace, and elastic cords threaded through saidloops and re movably connected to said hooks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER C. RANKIN.

\Vitnesses:

E. R. MAnooD, LOUIS L. BERNHAUER.

